I can see why they would consider going into the hardware scene, Valve have always provided an excellent service and the services provided by Windows and their xbox 360, and sony and the ps3, have been nothing short of less than what was promised.

I'm not sure what they think they're up to and my concern is that if Valve are doing too many things at once then the companies quality will degrade overall. It has always been a small company and the more a company grows the more it tends to let quality slide.

@Harribo: Gabe didn't want to get into the console business because he would have to convert all his code to openGL. A lot of hours duplicating existing content to tap into an inferior market.

If they just went and made their own system though they wouldn't have to waste man hours converting code and instead immediately throw products out onto the market.

This is basically giving console gamers a new console, which is many times more powerful than what they have at the moment, therefore they'll be happy too. Except it will be running PC programs, which is extra good for them because DLC will be easy, as well as them being able to run many PC-only games.

It's also good for us because if it does indeed manage to rival the PS3 and xbox, and I see no reason it would, it'll bring the "PC console" into the line for console-exclusive games. And we can get them too, because that means they'll be developed for PC simultaneously.

Not only that, but we get to play with them, and you can take your save games cross-platform, as well as your custom maps, models.

I won't buy one, probably, nor will I use one if I get the chance, but It's good for us regardless.

Why should i buy this and a tv when i could get a PC that could do all of that, PLUS your standard PC stuff.

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The answer really is that you shouldn't. You aren't the target market. This would be for the tens of thousands of people that prefer lounging on their couch to play video games and only use a computer for facebook, and perhaps cannot even run modern PC games.

It's still about marketing and the target demographic. "Just buy a PC" still requires people to figure out what they do/don't need and making a standard box with (presumably) a stripped down console-esque UI will appeal to the computer/hardware illiterate.

Of course... this is still all speculation on why a rumored piece of hardware would be made, so... grain of salt and all that.

It's still about marketing and the target demographic. "Just buy a PC" still requires people to figure out what they do/don't need and making a standard box with (presumably) a stripped down console-esque UI will appeal to the computer/hardware illiterate.

Of course... this is still all speculation on why a rumored piece of hardware would be made, so... grain of salt and all that.

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I guess the hardest part for Valve then would be to break through all the cruisader like fanboyism that exists between console users. Console players tend to be very loyal customers to their respective brands. Especially when they can't afford to have both the 2 top dogs at once, xbox and the ps3.